Variable-velocity-ratio gearing



Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES AT T OFFICE.

'WILLIAM BASIL 'swAa'r, or 'Jo'HAN Es UaG, TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA,ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF 'ro ERNEST ,STANSFIELD RATCLIFFE, or can: TOWN,sourrr AFRICA.

VARIABLE-VELOCITY-RATIO GEARING.

Application filed May 17,

speed of the'driving shaft or by variation. of the "load on the drivenshaft, and comprises a planet pinion to which a variable braking effectis appliedby a vane rotating in a liquid or a gas. 3 Y he accompanyingdrawing shows how the'said invention maybe conveniently andadvantageously carried into practice.

In this drawing :1 a Fig. I is a diagrammatic central horizontal sectionof gearing embodying this invention,and

Fig. II shows a vertical section on the line A-A, Fig. I. As shown inthe drawing B is a driving shaft connected through a clutch C to a spurwheel D in gear with planet pinions E through pinions E In the drawingtwo planet pinions E are shown but only one, or any other convenientnumber of such pinions may be provided. These pinions are keyed tospindles G carried in frame plates 1, 2, 3 mounted to rotate co-axiallywith the shaft B and spur wheel D. Vanes F are also keyed to thespindles G and are shown in the drawings as flat plates but they may be.curved, corrugated or of any other suitable shape. The frame plates 1,2, 3 are secured together by bolts H so that they rotate as a whole,carrying with them the spindles G.

A driven shaft J is fast with the frame plates, which are shown housedin a closed stationary casing K which may be filled with any desiredfluid. Suitable means are provided to prevent leakage between the casingK and the shafts B and J. When air at atmospheric pressure is used asthe fluid the casing K may be dispensed with.

The operation of the gearing is hereinafter describe-d and thedescription will be more readily understandable if the casing K 5 isconsidered as being filled with a liquid,

1922. Serial No. 561,781.

though the operation is the same even ifair at atmospheric pressureisused. In either instance, the vanes '15 are constantly; sub] ina'clockwisedirection the wheels. Eare .1

also rotating in. a clockwise" direction, the vanes F offering aresistance to rotationfdepending on the density of the liquid used. 1

' Assumethat the shaft J is absolutely free and that shaft: B isrevolving in a clockwise.

i direction. a The plates 1, 2 and 3 are nowfree to revolve and withthem the spindles G are free to revolve around the axisxof shaft B. Ifthe wheels E- were'unable to revolve about their axesv the shaft J.wou1d7be revolved in a clockwise direction at the same speed as shaftB.

The foregoing are the two .extreme cases.

Assume now that there is a certain amount of resistance to turning ofthe shaft J, that shaft B is revolving at a definite speed and thatwheels E are revolving about their own axes G and also about the axis ofshaft B.

The vanes F are revolving with the wheels E at certain angularvelocities with regard to the axes of spindles G and shaft Brespectively.

Suppose that the resistance to turning of shaft J increases. This meansthat the angularvvelocity of wheels E about the axis of shaft B tends todecrease and for this to occur the angular speed about the axes of thespindles G must tend to increase.

The greater the angular velocity of wheels E about B the greater is theresistance to the revolution of the wheels E about the axes of spindlesG, due to the action of the liquid on the vanes E, which tends to stopthem rotating in a clockwise direction aboutthe spindles G.Consequently, when the angular velocity of wheels E about the axis ofshaft B tends to fall, the angular velocity about the spindles G tendsto increase, thus increasing the ratio between the speeds of shafts Band J, the shaft B still revolving at-vthe sameyspeed. Forany givenspeedof thedriving shaft B and any, given resistance to rotation of the shaftJ .there will the .voneuparticular velocity ratio dependingonthe'fflriid used.

It willbe seen that the change of velocity ratio is automaticdependingon the load on the driven shaft. For example, in a motor carfitted with suchragear, the load on the driven shaft is a maximum whenstart- 'ilDgifIYOHI astationary position and at the :moment of :starting:the velocity ratio is -'grcat,iin'other words the car is in low gear.Mthen Lthecar isfrunning atc'onstant speed sailong .ailevel road theload on the driven shaft .is ca minimum and .the car is in ;'top ngear.Whenaa hilliseneountered fthe velocity :of:ratio= of the sgearautomatically in- -;creases according :to I the i load on the drivenasha'ft.

:Lclaim:

.1. avariable speed :gearin-g,.comprising axial'lyzaliningrdriving randdrivemsh-afts a pin- :ionrfixed :to x-tlre 1 drive 1 shaft ;i an openframe rembodyinagxa' set: of: plates connected together sinspaced,r.parallel relation ianditfixed tto the driven sshaft; :raspindle :journaled in said frame rp'lates to ,zrota-te atherewith andiZLlSO iton'otate lilb'OlliYitS: owniaxis a:p.lanet"pinion fixed atosaid spindle sand gearing 'with the :fisrstanarned pinion and a vanefixed =:to i-said .=-isp indle tto the -rcon-stantly subjected "to the'vzactmn :of 1a :fiuid :and :the'reby :resi-st rthe .zzro- ?tation ofthe :spindle rand its planetipinion. :2. -Wariable speed gearing,-comprising aXially-alinin-g driving and driven shafts; :a pinion fixedto the driveshaftya set of frameplates connected together in spaced,parallel relation and fixed to the driven shaft; a spindle journaled insaid "frame plates to rotate therewith and alsoto rotateaboutitsownaxis; a planet pinion fixed to said spindle and gearing withthe firstnaniedrpinion; a-v-ane fixed to said spindle; and a casingenclosing the frame plates and connected partssa-nd filled with-liquid.

'3. 'Variable :speed .gearing, comprising :axially-alining driving anddriven ishafts an i open frame embodying a .pair of outer plates.vand'xanl inner plateconneeteditogcther 1 in spaced, parallel relationand rfixed ;to the driven shaft; a pinion 'ffixed .to "the drive shaftbetween the innerand 01167016 therouter frame plates; a plurality oftransmission gears carried aby and mounted between said inner and OlitGIframe plates in :mesh "with :said pinion; a plurality .ofsspin'dles,one-for eeach tliLIlSIIlISSIOII lgear, ournaled 1n 'the "Eff-211116plates :to lI'OtZLtG therewith and zalso to rotate about theirzown "axes;1 a pinion :se-

cured to :each spindle between the first- .named frainezplates andm'eshing with zthe adjacent gear;, and vanes secured :to each spindlebetweensaid inner .rframe :plate and 'i the other router".frianrerplateito abevconstantly subjected to the taction'zof fluid andthereby resist the rotationof the espindl-es fand itheirrzzpinions.

testimony whereof lzaffix myssignatnre.

WILLIAM BASIL

